1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for the efficient and rapid application of hydrophobic and hydrophilic substances to the surfaces of artificial flies, fishing lines and leaders used on fishing lines to make those items either float or sink as desired.
2. State of the Art
Usually to fish effectively with a dry fly, the fly should float high on the water surface without breaking through the surface film, and the leader close to the fly should break the surface film and sink. This is accomplished by coating the fly with a thin film of a hydrophobic substance of low volatility and low solubility in water or by coating the fly with certain finely divided, non-volatile, water-insoluble, hydrophobic solids. Conversely, if it is desired to make the fly, fishing line or leader sink, the fly, fishing line or leader is treated with a hydrophilic substance in order to make the item break through the surface of the water and sink.
When a fish is caught and the hydrophilic mucous inside the mouth of the fish is transferred to the fly. The fly then tends to sink at least until the hydrophilic material on the fly is removed. To properly remove the hydrophilic material, the fly must be cleaned to remove the mucous and any other hydrophilic contaminant on the fly. The fly then must be dried.
Many different materials can be used to treat the surface of artificial flies, fishing lines and leaders to tailor the surface properties of the treated items. These materials can be fluids or solids. When the material to be used in treating artificial flies, fishing lines and leaders is a solid, it is desirable for the solid to melt at or just below body temperature to facilitate application of the material to the item being treated. Fluid materials, such as oils, greases, gels, and pastes are also used in treating artificial flies, fishing lines and leaders. All of these materials are applied to the item to be treated by transferring the material from one's finger tips to the item being treated.
After cleaning the artificial fly, fishing line or leader, it is advantageous to dry the item. Inorganic desiccators in the form of particulates have been used to dry flies. The desiccators have a limited capacity for removing water from a fly and are usually discarded when that capacity is exceeded. Thermal treatment can regenerate the desiccator, but is impractical.
An artificial fly can be dried by pressing it between two pads of amadou, a scarce tree fungus. Unfortunately, amadou is a hard, inflexible material and is not recommended for use on small, delicate, artificial flies. Amadou is also very expensive, being over 50 times more costly than the soft, flexible, long-lasting cellulosic material described in this patent.
There are hydrophobic materials being used by fishermen that melt at or just below body temperature and are dispensed from a squeeze bottle. To keep such materials molten, the bottle must be stored in a pocket of the fisherman, and the pocket must be positioned against the body of the fisherman so that the temperature within the pocket exceeds the melting point of the hydrophobic substance. The tip of the bottle often clogs, especially on a cold day, and must be warmed with the fingers of the fisherman to get the material to flow from the bottle. Any advantage of using such a material is off-set by the inconvenience associated with storing and dispensing of the material.
The low viscosity fluids, solutions and low melting materials used to treat artificial flies, fishing lines and leaders are usually stored in and dispensed from squeeze bottles, wide-mouth screw-cap bottles or aerosol cans. Because aerosols are harmful to the environment, they are being phased out in favor of relatively expensive bottles that are provided with finger-operated pumps.
Organic solvents have been used in many materials used to treat fishing equipment. However, such solvents are generally bad for the environment, and when an artificial fly is treated with a material containing an organic solvent, the solvent further must be allowed to evaporate from the fly by false casting prior to making a desired, normal cast. False casting is a waste of time and energy and, even worse, can scare the fish.
Gels, pastes and particulates that are used in treating flies, fishing lines and leaders must be stored and dispensed from screw cap or flip-top jars. As fly fisherman are all too well aware, the dispensers currently employed are bulky, heavy, inconvenient to store and especially inconvenient to use since holding, opening, using, closing and then storing them tie up the hands and waste time.
In the process of treating a fly, fishing line or leader, the container or parts thereof can be dropped or the contents spilled. This is especially true on cold, wet, windy days. Elaborate container holders have been suggested which are attached to the fishing vest or other garment of the fisherman in order to prevent such loss. However, they add to the cost, bulk and weight of the dispenser of material used to treat flies, fishing lines and leaders.
There is clearly a long felt need for a faster, more convenient and less expensive way to clean and control the wetting properties of artificial flies, fishing lines and leaders without running the risk of contaminating the items with an improper surface treatment agent.